2009 United Kingdom
Welcome to the international embassy of The United Kingdom! (Player added remarks) =Diplomatic Relations= Nation currently enjoys diplomatic relations with (List) Nation is a member of (List) Nation is a signatory to the following treaties (list) //We will do this bit later, just have the template up so we can do it. =Summary= The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain, is a sovereign island country located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. The UK spans the island of Great Britain, the northeast part of the island of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land border, sharing it with the Republic of Ireland Apart from this land border, the UK is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel and the Irish Sea. The largest island, Great Britain, is linked to France by the Channel Tunnel. The United Kingdom is a union of four constituent countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It is governed by a parliamentary system with its seat of government in London, the capital, and is a constitutional monarchy with Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state. The Crown Dependencies of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, formally possessions of the Crown, are not part of the UK but form a federacy with it. The UK has fourteen overseas territories, all remnants of the British Empire, which at its height encompassed almost a quarter of the world's land surface, making it the largest empire in history. As a result of the empire, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. Queen Elizabeth II remains the head of the Commonwealth of Nations and head of state of each of the Commonwealth realms. The UK is a developed country, with the sixth (nominal GDP) or seventh (PPP) largest economy in the world. It was the world's first industrialised country and the world's foremost power during the 19th and early 20th centuries, but the economic cost of two world wars and the decline of its empire in the latter half of the 20th century diminished its leading role in global affairs. The UK nevertheless remains a major power with strong economic, cultural, military and political influence and is a nuclear power, with the second or third highest (depending on method of calculation) defence spending in the world. It is a member state of the European Union, holds a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, and is a member of the G8, NATO, OECD, WTO and the Commonwealth of Nations. =Brief History= Present-day Britain is populated since the sixth century BC by Celtic tribes. The Roman Empire invades Britain in 43 BC and establishes the province of Brittania. When the Romans leave Britain, the island is invaded by germanic tribes like the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. The Anglosaxon tribes are united in 871 in the Kingdom of England, a feudal state. Large part of the country are conquered by Denmark in the ninth century. Finally in 1016 Denmarks rules the whole country. The Saxons regain power in 1042. In 1066 England is invaded by the Normans from Normandy and they form the rulers of the Kingdom of England. The English conquest of Wales succeeds in 1282 and English rule is established 2 years later. An act of 1536 completes the political and administrative union of England and Wales. This is followed in 1607 with the annexation of Ireland. England becomes a republic in 1649 (the Commonwealth of England), but the monarchy is restored in 1660. By the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, Britain is the foremost European power and its navy ruled the seas. Peace in Europe allows the British to focus their interests on more remote parts of the world and during this period the British Empire reaches its zenith. British colonial expansion reaches its height largely during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901). British colonies contribute to the United Kingdom's extraordinary economic growth and strengthen its voice in world affairs. Even as the United Kingdom extends its imperial reach overseas, it continued to develop and broaden its democratic institutions at home. During the nineteenth century parliamentarism develops further. Britain's control over its empire losened during the interwar period. Ireland, with the exception of six northern counties, gains independence from the United Kingdom in 1921, the kingdom is renamed United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. =Diplomatic Messages= (Please post them here) =Resources= *The United Kingdom on Wikipedia *The United Kingdom on the BBC *United Kingdom on the CIA world factbook *Homepage of the British government